BHUBANESWAR: Panic gripped several villages in Athmallik and Dhandatopa ranges of Angul district in Odisha after tigress Sundari - suspected to have killed a woman in Satkosia on September 12 - took down a cow on Tuesday.The two-and-a-half-year-old tigress - which was brought to Satkosia tiger reserve from Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh in June - was spotted by a Wildlife Institute of India (WII) team in the adjoining Athgarh forest division on Sunday.Wildlife experts accused the forest division of ignoring the fact that Sundari - released from her enclosure on August 17 - would naturally explore a large swathe of the Satkosia landscape and of not improving the prey base in these areas.Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of the Wildlife Society of Odisha, said: "It is only natural that she will travel the length and breadth of the landscape and get tired and hungry. Since the Athmallik region has almost zero prey base, it should not be a shock if she attacks cattle and even humans," he said.On the condition of anonymity a forest officer in the Athmallik division told TOI, "The tigress is now roaming in the area adjoining Athmallik and Boinda. The villagers there have informed us about a cow being killed by the tigress. The claim is being verified."The autopsy report of the woman allegedly killed by Sundari confirmed that the death had been caused by a carnivorous animal.The report said her injuries were consistent with those of a tiger kill.The process of translocation of tigers from Madhya Predesh to Odisha - the country's first interstate translocation - has been mired in controversy ever since Sundari was accused of killing a human.

Stay updated with all the Latest Bhubaneswar headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.